On the surface, a third-place finish at the T100 World Tour event in Singapore on Saturday for Lucy Charles-Barclay is a fantastic result.

The 2023 IRONMAN World Champion missed the entire second half of the 2024 season following a DNF at T100 London – with a muscle injury ending her hopes of an IMWC title defence in Nice in September.

In her first race back, the 31-year-old British superstar produced a solid display across all three phases to take a creditable podium in the Singapore heat behind compatriot Katie Waugh who claimed a sensational victory on debut.

LCB reveals Singapore pre-race dilemma

However, Lucy revealed afterwards that she had almost called it quits before the race due to illness.

She detailed her plight on her Instagram account following the race, saying she had suffered “classic cold and flue like symptoms”.

“I wasn’t sure whether to share this, but I think it’s important to show the dilemmas professional athletes face, because sometimes, the choices we make at this level shouldn’t be seen as a blueprint.

“My prep for this race had gone really well. I had an uninterrupted winter block, some of my best training numbers in years, and real momentum. I was excited to show it.

“Then race week hit, and so did a sore throat, followed by classic cold and flu symptoms. It was infuriating. After how last season ended, I was desperate to start strong. But I’ve learned: you can’t just “push through” the fatigue from a virus. It doesn’t work.

“Nine times out of ten, I wouldn’t start a race this brutal after being sick. That’s the smart choice. But this was the one time I felt the mental toll of a DNS would’ve been worse than the physical toll of racing. Not brave, not clever, just necessary for my overall health.

Feeling flat

The symptoms resolved themselves prior to race day, but a week of being unable to put in the necessary work to compete at the highest level left their mark on British great.

“By race day, the symptoms had mostly gone, but I felt flat. My power on the bike was the lowest I’ve ever recorded, 35 watts down from Singapore last year. The one upside? My heat tolerance held up, so the protocols are clearly working.

“Moral of the story? Don’t copy everything you see the pros doing. Prioritise your health, and let us make the reckless decisions so you don’t have to.”